Submission deadline for 2026: November 26, 2025
The Knauss Young Investigator Award was established in 2016 by the Society of Experimental Mechanics (SEM) with the support of its Time Dependent Materials Technical Division (TDM TD) and the Mechanics of Time Dependent Materials (MTDM) Journal and Conference. The award is a special achievement award for young investigators and has been named in honor of Professor Wolfgang G. Knauss, Theodore von Karman Professor of Aeronautics (Emeritus), California Institute of Technology.
The award will be given in recognition of an individual who has made significant research contributions to the broad field of experimental mechanics, with a focus on time dependent materials. For the purpose of this award, the broad field will encompass all areas of Mechanics (solid as well as fluid) and all fields of engineering and applied science that involve mechanics. Nominees for this award must not have reached their 40th birthday by the date of the award presentation at the SEM conference. The award will be given at the SEM Annual Meeting Awards Banquet. Awardee(s) will present a track keynote at the SEM Annual and a special lecture at the Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials Conference, organized by jsem.jp.
The following nomination documents should be included in the nomination package:
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A curriculum vitae of the nominee (including the date of birth)
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A nomination form (can be obtained from award committee chair)
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Two letters of recommendation in support of the candidate
These documents should be sent to the award committee chair in electronic format (PDF format is preferred). Recommendation letters can be sent directly, but it is preferred that the nominator collects all the reference letters and includes them in the nomination package. Self-nomination is not permitted. The nominator cannot provide a reference letter. A candidate can be nominated any number of times, and the nomination package will be considered until the end of eligibility.
If you have any questions concerning the application, please do not hesitate to contact SEM or the committee chair.